Maxine Cowan-Sterling

Obituary

Maxine Cowan-Sterling of Canon City, Colo., died Tuesday, May 6, 2003, in Canon City. She was 90.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 10, at Wilson Memorial Chapel in Canon City. She will be buried at Lakeside Cemetery.

Mrs. Cowan-Sterling was born Aug. 11, 1912, in Oskaloosa, Iowa, to Chester A. Amsberry and Florence Onstine. She attended a business college prior to her marriage to her first husband, John, in 1935. They founded the Cowan and Akerman Shoe Store in Oskaloosa and operated it until they moved to Colorado. They moved to Canon City in 1956 and purchased Hills Bootery. Mrs. Cowan-Sterling continued operating the store after John's death, until closing the store in 1970.

She was active in he Colorado Elks Association and authored a column in the Colorado Elks News, which was edited and published by her second husband, Jim Sterling, for more than 40 years. She also participated in Meals on Wheels and various church organizations.

She loved to travel, visiting most of the countries of the world, and made yearly trips to Alaska to visit her sons. Her greatest love was her family.

Mrs. Cowan-Sterling was preceded in death by her first husband, John, and a brother, Bob Amsberry.

She is survived by her children, Judy Parker of Loveland, Colo., Pat Cowan and his wife, Myrna, of Soldotna, Kathy Albi and her husband, Fred, of Post Falls, Idaho, and Mike Cowan and his wife, Jeanne, of Canon City; stepchildren, Martha Tiegen and her husband, Henry, Penny Lyon and her husband, Dennis, and Jan Groesch and her husband, Mark, all of Aurora, Colo.; 19 grandchildren; and 26 great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson's Association of the Rockies, 1420 Ogden St., Suite 103, Denver, CO 80218.